Greg Monte‘s debut EP, Stripes and Stars is “…the perfect anthem to add to your summer play list as you pay tribute to the flag and party the fourth of July away.” The EP, dropping Saturday June 30, will have remixes by One Love (of Kinetics & One Love), Sam Lassner, and Brian MacLeod.

We got the exclusive premier on the One Love remix to “Stripes and Stars” and it’s a must-listen electro house BANGER! Stream and DOWNLOAD.

Read a Q&A interview I did with Greg Monte and Tim Sommers (One Love) below.

1. How did you two come together to collaborate on “Stripes and Stars”?

Greg Monte: We went to Cornell together and met there – we both avidly play drum set as well as other instruments, so I’m pretty sure we officially met when I had to borrow Tim’s (rickety) set for an event called “Rock the CASA” at a friend’s sorority. I think Tim had to come up during my gig and push the set back toward me cuz it had no legs, so it just rocked back and forth on the pavement haha… We’ve been doing shows and bouncing ideas off of each other increasingly since, and are fortunate enough to not be locked up in a cubicle with a suit on. (Tim might not remember this, but I remember trying out for Jazz drum set at Cornell as a freshman, which was an awesome and broadening experience, and seeing mostly stuffy, typical preppy Ivy-leaguers with their horns… and then Tim: kicks, saggy jeans, t-shirt and long hair. He sat at the set and killed it, making the others look kinda ridiculous).

2. What can fans expect to hear on this EP?

Greg Monte: For those who haven’t heard of me (Greg Monte) yet, you can expect an American-based house banger (house started in Chicago, btw. Google Frankie Knuckles). I have most of my background in drumming – from classical training in orchestral percussion to modern hip hop drum set. Something my good friend and percussion mentor Aaron Staebell once told me of ?uestlove’s beats – “It doesn’t matter how complex or simple it is, so long as it’s got a solid groove and makes people want to dance” (referring to “Untitled” by D’Angelo, during which ?uestlove plays the simplest beat ever… but somehow drills more emotion, feeling and tension into it than a mexican soap opera). I try to always “feel” my music, since it’s so directly made for dancing and body moving. Fans of One Love can expect a slightly different, yet still totally bangin’, side of him than they’re used to – a little heavier than his Kinetics & One Love beats, but one that’s ready to rock massive EDM stages. As a producer/writer, his versatility is actually kinda daunting haha…

3) How is this project different or similar than previous work each of you have done?

Greg Monte: For me, this is my first original EP, so it’s a welcome break into focusing more intently on production than on gigging. When I was still in school, I gigged all the time to stay financially afloat, trying to juggle a major and two minors while graduation loomed – atop trying to produce tunes with enough time and freedom to be creative. I’d like to think this song is representative of my DJ style, while not all-encompasing: I’ve always been a huge proponent of stylistic diversity, like in Diplo’s productions and live sets, so I’m definitely not trying to glue myself to one subgenre.

Tim Sommers: Around 90% of everything I’ve released at this point has been hiphop with Kinetics, so this might come as a surprise for people who’ve heard my previous music. I’ve been a huge EDM fan for years now and have occasionally experimented with incorporating dance music elements into my music, but this is definitely the first BANGER I’m releasing. You can still hear classic One Love in the chord progressions though — I’m all about the chords!

4) What’s next for you two?

Greg Monte: More production, more originals, more collabs, more NYC shows… Just eating, breathing, music-making. Oh, and I need an apartment.

Tim Sommers: The next Kinetics & One Love album You Are Not Alone will be out this fall. It’s by far our best work and features Wynter Gordon, Termanology, Nitty Scott MC and more. Be sure to download your copy when it comes out! Also be on the lookout for some more dancefloor destroyers like this project with Greg.

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